Category: MLB

Legendary Sportscaster Bob Wolff’s Unrivaled Legacy

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

Unmatched. Unparalleled. Unbelievable. The impact legendary sportscaster Bob Wolff made, not only on the sports world, but on society, will live on for generations. Wolff passed away Saturday night in his Nyack home, leaving behind a legacy that is second to none. The iconic sportscaster was 96 years old.

Wolff stood as the record holder for longest running broadcaster (78 years). His work dates back to 1939, when he was on WDNC Radio as a student at Duke University. His most recent work, in 2017, sports commentary for News 12 Long Island. Over the last 78 years, Wolff accomplished more than most could ever dream of, compiling the most impressive broadcasting resume in the history of sports.

Every accomplishment of Wolff’s is more impressive than the last, so I will list the major ones in no particular order:

  • Called the only perfect game in World Series history (Don Larsen in 1956)
  • Did TV play-by-play for both New York Knicks’ championships (1970 and 1973)
  • Called “The Greatest Game Ever Played” (1958 NFL Championship Game — Baltimore Colts vs. New York Giants)
  • Called Jackie Robinson’s last major league hit (game winning hit in Game 6 of the 1956 World Series)
  • Interviewed Babe Ruth

The list is endless, as Wolff seemingly did every broadcasting job known to man. He is the only sportscaster to call play-by-play of championships in all 4 major sports (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL). Throughout his career, he even found time to become the TV play-by-play voice for 8 different teams across 5 sports:

  • Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns
  • New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons
  • New York Rangers
  • Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins
  • Tampa Bay Rowdies (Soccer)

How is this even possible?? Broadcasters are fortunate to become the voice of 1 team, in 1 sport. Wolff managed to conquer multiple sports, in multiple cities, across the country. Wolff also served his country. He served as a supply officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

All of his hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Wolff was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 as well as the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, becoming only the 2nd sportscaster to be inducted into both Halls of Fame (Curt Gowdy). Bob Wolff’s life and career should be endlessly applauded. He was a pioneer, and without his efforts, it is unlikely you’d be reading this article right now. Thank you Bob Wolff, for paving the way.

 

What is your favorite Bob Wolff memory?? Please share it in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M EST.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

Episode #3 Of DaveTalksSports Radio

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Here it is!! Episode #3 of DaveTalksSports Radio. We talked Knicks, Home Run Derby, Wimbledon, and much more. All you have to do is Click, Listen, and Enjoy!! Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports

Please leave any comments here or on YouTube. Thanks for listening and reading!!

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

 

Casual Dominance

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 6 Comments

Aaron-Judge-Campeon-del-Home-Run-Derby

Human beings are not supposed to be able to do that. Just when you think there are limitations to what humans beings can do, expectations are shattered. And that’s what it’s all about; expectations. No one expects a rookie to be leading the MVP race. No one expects a rookie to hit baseballs 500+ feet. No one expects a rookie to take the world by storm. Until they do.

Aaron Judge is that rookie. Yes, he is only in his first full season in Major League Baseball. It’s hard to believe due to his size, strength, ability, and demeanor. He walks, talks, and acts like a 12-year, MLB veteran.

If Aaron Judge Isn’t The Perfect Candidate To Be The Face Of Baseball, I don’t Know Who Is.

MLB needs to seize the moment. Forget the “Judge” nicknames, they should make him the poster child for their league. He is just what baseball, and more importantly society needs. He is as confident as he is humble. He is as selfless as he is gracious. He is as talented as he is grounded. But don’t ask him for an opinion of himself, because he won’t give it. He’ll assuredly attribute his success to the support of his family, friends, coaches, and teammates. In a world filled with self-promotion, it is refreshing to see a 25-year old break the mold.

The mold is not the only thing Aaron Judge broke last night. He broke records and possibly some windows during his first Home Run Derby. As the 2-seed in the new “bracket” format the home run derby adopted, Judge had to overcome a mountainous obstacle in the first round. His opponent, 7-seeded Justin Bour, rallying behind his home crowd in Miami, posted 22 home runs in the first round (4th most in a single round..ever). It’s hard not to like Bour, “Mr. No Batting Gloves”, as I like to call him. His monstrous frame and forearms lend themselves to a Home Run Derby. I mean, the guy was fed a doughnut by teammate Giancarlo Stanton during one of his “timeouts”. You owe me a doughnut!

While Bour and Stanton brought energy and excitement to the Home Run Derby, Aaron Judge was not to be outshined, outmatched, or outdone. His home run hitting power stole the show, as he hit 23 home runs to narrowly advance past Bour.

And this is the only part of the Home Run Derby I would tweak. The time limit and brackets were great ideas, but Justin Bour (22) and Giancarlo Stanton (16) deserved to advance to the second round. Next year, of the 8 competitors, the top 4 should advance to the semi-finals. From there, based on the same rankings (1-8), the bracket format should ‘kick in’. This would allow the best performers to advance, and still provide the head-to-head matchup excitement.

Anyway, back to Judge….

He hit 47 total home runs, 5 that travelled at least 500 feet. He also owned the longest home run of the night; 513 feet. Can you imagine hitting a baseball 500 feet?! Yeah, me neither.

My favorite part of Judge’s performance was he showcased his opposite field power, utilizing the entire ballpark as his playground. And you’d need to watch the Home Run Derby to understand his raw power. Balls that mere mortals pop-up to shallow right field are 400 foot home runs for Judge, the demi-god. And as if all this wasn’t impressive enough, Judge actually hit the ceiling last night. HE HIT THE CEILING!! And it didn’t even count as a home run. Fortunately, this didn’t cause a Home Run Derby controversy. While it was certainly Aaron Judge’s night, I think he just drew a few more eyeballs to the game of baseball for the rest of the year.

 

Did you watch the Home Run Derby last night?? Did you tune in just to watch Aaron Judge?? Tell me all about it in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

Aaron Judge Launches His Way Past An All-Time Great

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Hey Joe DiMaggio, can you slide over??

No, seriously, Joe, please make room on the couch.

Yeah, I know this is awkward, but we’re going to need to give your seat away.

Yes, I know he’s ginormous. That’s why we need you to move allllll the way over.

Have yourself a seat Aaron Judge.

Now, by no means am I trying to disrespect or disparage Joe DiMaggio, I am solely seeking to exentuate how incredible Judge has been this season.
Aaron Judge has amazed not only Yankees’ fans, but baseball fans all over the world. He continues to send baseballs into the stratosphere, literally at a record setting pace. When they lend they generally leave Armageddon-Size Craters in earth.

His latest moonshot launched him past DiMaggio, into 1st place on the Yankees’ all-time rookie home run list. A record that has stood for 81 years. The most impressive part?? Judge accomplished this feat in just 84 games!! Insanity!! Judge also joins Mark McGwire as the only rookies to hit 30 home runs before the all-star break. McGwire hit 33 in 1987 (he finished with 49).

It’s hard not to like Aaron Judge. At just 25 years old, he does and says all the right things. Judge’s character doesn’t need checking at the door, as he appears as humble as he is freakishly tall. When asked about breaking this record, he responded, “I wish all 30 were game-winners.” Well take a page out of the never say anything wrong Derek Jeter playbook why don’t ya??

And don’t worry folks. You won’t have to go through Aaron Judge home run withdrawal. Judge will compete in Monday night’s Home Run Derby. I expect him to win –in impressive fashion. The only problem will be when he inevitably regresses to a human level following the All-Star break, and everyone suggests the home run derby somehow ruined his home run hitting groove. Yeah, because that umbrella I opened inside the other day is really ruining my life….
Is Aaron Judge having the most impressive rookie season in MLB history?? Tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

I’ve Got Something To Say, So Open Your Ears And Listen!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

medvedev

Why the hell are the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game held on a Monday and Tuesday night?? MLB All-Star Weekend has a much nicer ring to it. It’s no wonder baseball isn’t popular. Stupid!!

The Knicks have signed 0 players in free agency. No, Ron Baker doesn’t count. The Knicks are officially in Tank Mode!! Oh yeah, and their 1st round pick, Frank Ntilikina, has yet to play a game in the Summer League. I’m so glad he rushed back to France right after the draft just so he could get hurt….

Hey, psssttt, Daniil Medvedev — you can’t throw money at the chair referee (as pictured above). This is Wimbledon, not Jerry Springer. You lost, get over it!! My favorite part is he denied that he was implying the referee was paid off by his opponent. How stupid do you think we are Daniil?? Wait..don’t answer that.

Manny Pacquiao — I know you’re upset, but you’re not the same fighter you used to be. You’re not on the juice anymore. At this point you couldn’t knock out my grandma. It’s time to hang ’em up. Thanks for the memories.

The elephant enters the room….

Gordon Hayward signed with the Boston Celtics. I love how people think it’s appropriate to say, “hey look, another white guy in Boston.” I know people say Boston is a racist city, but not everything is about race. Imagine that.

Dan Gilbert, you are a freakin’ cheapskate!! You are worth 4.8 Billion Dollars. 4.8 BILLION DOLLARS!! Apparently that’s not enough to offer Chauncey Billups a reasonable amount to become the Cavalier’s General Manager. Allegedly Gilbert offered Billups 1.5 million dollars. Normally, a General Manager’s starting salary is a minimum of 4 million dollars. You stay classy Cleveland.

Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested on Tuesday night for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Because nothing says ‘Happy 4th of July’ like waving a rifle in a lady’s face. As Jim Carrey said in Liar Liar, “Stop breaking the law asshole!!”

The Knicks reaching out to Rajon Rondo to be Frank Ntilikina’s mentor is like reaching out to Tiger Woods to be your marriage counselor….

How in the world is Alex Wood not on the All-Star Team?!?! The guy is 10-0 with a 1.67 era. Oh..we have 6 relief pitchers on the roster instead?? Makes sense.

The Tennessee Titans almost lit their stadium on fire on Tuesday night. What is it with the NFL and fireworks?? JPP knows what I’m talking about. High Fiv……I mean, ummm, High Four????

 

Thanks for reading!! Enjoy your day everybody!!

You can always speak your mind in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends about me!!

 

Episode #2 Of DaveTalksSports Radio!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Good morning sports fans. If you feel you aren’t getting enough of DaveTalksSports here, and you want more, allow me to introduce DaveTalksSports Radio!! You can leave comments here or on YouTube. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @DaveEttinger2, Subscribe to DaveTalksSports on YouTube, or Like my DaveTalksSports Page on Facebook.Thanks for reading and listening!!

Happy 4th of July!! And Happy Birthday Jordan!!

 

 

 

Injuries Have Become Baseball’s Worst Nightmare

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 3 Comments

yankees-white-sox-baseball

It’s supposed to be the best day of your life. A day to rejoice and celebrate that you’ve made it. After pouring blood, sweat, and tears into the lifelong dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player, all that, in a flash, is gone. That was the harsh reality for Yankees’ outfielder, Dustin Fowler.

On Thursday, Fowler, just 22 years old, made his major league debut in Chicago against the White Sox (the same day he was called up). He was slotted 6th in the batting order and started in right field. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Jose Abreu popped-up a ball, down right-field, in foul territory. Fowler gave chase but ran out of room. He crashed into the half-wall, badly injuring his right knee. After two brief attempts to walk it off, Fowler’s leg gave out as he crumbled to the floor. Video of the injury can be seen here. Fowler had to be carted off the field. His 1st Major League at-bat will have to wait.

Fowler ruptured his patellar tendon and was rushed to Rush University Medical Center for surgery. His recovery and rehabilitation will last at least 6 months. Fowler wasn’t the 1st Yankees’ prospect to hit the Disabled List (DL) on Thursday (Tyler Austin – hamstring). The Yankees are making a run at the New York Mets for most injured team in New York. Here are the Yankees and Mets players currently on the Disabled List:

Yankees                                                                                           Mets

Matt Holliday                                                                                  Noah Syndergaard

Aaron Hicks                                                                                     Jeurys Familia

Starlin Castro                                                                                  Matt Harvey

Greg Bird                                                                                          Neil Walker

CC Sabathia                                                                                      Zack Wheeler

Tyler Austin                                                                                     David Wright

Dustin Fowler                                                                                  Robert Gsellman

Adam Warren                                                                                  Josh Smoker

 

Insane!! Who can compete with so many injuries?? Ahem..apparently the Yankees can (sorry Mets fans).

Injuries are not limited to the Tri-State area, as Major League Baseball seems to have a pandemic on it’s hands. There are 25 active players on each of baseball’s 30 teams (750 players available on a daily basis). 437 players have spent time on the DL at some point this season. Talk about insane!! That’s 58.3%!! And there are currently 164 players on the DL.

At the start of the season, Major League Baseball altered the terms of their DL policy. Now, 7-day, 10-day, and 60-day DL’s exist. The 7-day DL pertains to concussions and other situations, such as paternity leave. The 10-day DL, previously the 15-day DL, is for common injuries and has likely caused the number of DL stints to rise slightly. However, there were 475 DL stints all of last season, compared to 437 so far this season (through 81 games). Such a rapid increase in injuries should be alarming to the ‘suits’ of Major League Baseball. Maybe this is contributing to a decline in ratings. Fans pay to see Mike Trout play, not Eric Young Jr.

The question is, why are players more injury prone now??

Some, like Mets’ commentator Ron Darling, suggest it is today’s training style that contributes to more frequent injuries. Following Robert Gsellman’s injury Ron didn’t hold back, “These trainers, get them in a room with some of the old trainers and people that took care of baseball players and how to keep them healthy. And get them in a room and try to tap into their knowledge on how to train baseball players – not weightlifters, not six-pack wearers – baseball players. They’re doing a disservice to their million-dollar athletes that they’re paying. It’s a joke to watch this happen each and every night.”

To Ron’s point, of course players can get hurt lifting weights, but to suggest that is the main factor for an increase in injuries across Major League Baseball is blasphemous. And it actually contradicts science. An increase in injuries in baseball is not a new problem, it is simply getting worse. Here’s why:

  • Money
  • Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs
  • Schedule

Money is the answer to everything, however, in this case it is a DL enabler. If I am still awaiting my ‘huge’ contract, why am I going to play through an injury?? Performance enhancing drugs effect injuries in a multitude of ways. The decrease in drug use no longer allows someone to play through an injury. And while these drugs can provide short-term assistance with performance or recovery, they actually leave your body more prone to injury upon cycling off the drug. And finally, Major League Baseball’s grueling schedule also contributes to injuries. Players have an average of 18 days off throughout an entire season. That’s 3 days off per month. So much for having weekends off….

 

Why do you think players are getting injured at a faster rate?? Please tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends about me!!

 

 

My 1st Ever Sports Talk Radio Show

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

By clicking below, you will be entering my YouTube Channel; DaveTalksSports. This audio is from my 1st ever Sports Talk Radio Show. This audition was recorded and submitted to the radio station at SUNY Old Westbury on Monday, June 26th, 2017. Assuming my professor approves my audition, I will be on OWWR, Old Westbury Web Radio, via the TuneIn Radio App. The date and time of my show is TBD (to be determined), so check back to find out when I will be on the air. Click below to listen and enjoy!! Feel free to comment or leave constructive criticism in the comment section. Thank you!!

Why Use Your Head When You Can Use Your Feet??

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

mike trout

If I told you something you did everyday was dangerous, would you stop doing it?? Oh..you wouldn’t believe me?? Okay, okay. Well, what if I could prove it, ya know with facts?? Okay, so then you’d stop?? Cool. So why do baseball players still slide headfirst into a base or home plate?? Other than players thinking it looks cool, I have no freakin’ clue.

Seriously though, players believe it is faster and more effective than sliding feetfirst. Wrong. And wrong again. In 2011, Al Figone performed a study for Collegiate Baseball. He diagnosed all injuries (in MLB) caused by sliding, both headfirst and feetfirst. He found sliding headfirst caused nearly 40% more injuries than sliding feetfirst. The study also proved sliding headfirst only shaved .01 seconds (on average) off each slide. Also, in case of an errant throw, it is far easier to pop-up from a feetfirst slide. This would allow the runner to advance to the next base, while the headfirst slide leaves the runner busy wiping dirt off the front of their jersey. Your honor, the defense rests.

In certain cases, depending on the throw, will sliding headfirst be beneficial?? I’m sure it will be. But, the overwhelming majority of the time, the base-runner is playing with fire. Now kids..do you know what happens when you play with fire?? That’s right..you get burned. Very goooood. Take the most recent, headfirst slide casualties; Mike Trout and Gleyber Torres.

Mike Trout is the best baseball player in the whole wide world. He decided a long time ago he wouldn’t be sliding feetfirst, ummm, ever. He said, “it never felt comfortable”. It’s hard to argue with Trout, as talented as he is, but his latest headfirst slide did land him on the DL (for the 1st time in his career). On May 28th, Trout tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, as he stole 2nd base (as pictured above). He had successful surgery, and his recovery is ahead of schedule (obviously). When asked if he will change the way he slides, he simply responded, “I’ll need to have more control when I dive headfirst from now on”.

And then there is New York Yankees’ top prospect, Gleyber Torres. Senor Torres will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. I’ll give you one guess as to how that happened….

You got that right!! He tore up his elbow sliding headfirst into home plate on Monday. It is sad to see a player sustain this type of injury at anytime, but it is especially triste (that’s Spanish for sad) since Torres was on the fast track to the Majors this season. He was playing everyday for Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Scranton Wilkes-Barre, and he was tearing it up. No pun intended. The reports say he’ll be ready for Spring Training in 2018. Hopefully he learns his lesson faster than Mr. Trout.

Habits are formed. New information surfaces. Habits evolve….hopefully.

Do you think players should slide feetfirst more?? Or do you enjoy watching headfirst slides?? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

New York Mets Are Dealing With An Injury Epidemic

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 4 Comments

juan lagares

It’s hard to go anywhere when every time you take 1-step forward, you take 3-steps backward. Especially when you’ve been doing that for years. That is the state of the New York Mets. It’s like they’re stuck in quicksand. And when someone finally comes along and throws them a rope, the rope snaps and they fall into the quicksand too. That is the New York Mets.

Let’s do a quick rewind to Tuesday morning (June 13th). The Mets woke up with a smile for the first time in a long time. They were riding a 4-game winning streak, and their injury riddled roster was finally starting to return to some semblance of health. Steven Matz and Seth Lugo both returned from the disabled list after missing just over 2 months with elbow injuries. They also added slugger Yoenis Cespedes back to the lineup the week prior. Well the parade didn’t last very long. Over the past 2 days, the Mets’ injuries have piled up faster than Bartolo Colon’s plates at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

  • Matt Harvey was pulled from his start early (he was getting rocked anyway), only to find out he’ll miss “several weeks” with a stress injury to the scapula in his shoulder on his throwing arm..YAY!!
  • Neil Walker has a partially torn hamstring and will miss at least a month.
  • The Mets thought the timing was right to give a stellar (?) update on Noah Syndergaard’s progress. Apparently he isn’t cleared to do anything yet, and his timetable to return has been pushed back to late August.
  • And in last night’s game, Juan Lagares fractured his thumb diving for a ball in shallow center field (as pictured above).

They also got crushed last night (8-3), losing the 1st of a 4-game set with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals dropped a 5-spot on Robert Gsellman in the 5th inning, and that was all she wrote. I know Gsellman was great last year when the Mets’ pitching staff was dealing with injuries, but man has he been bad. The only thing he and Jacob deGrom have in common is the ugly hair, because only 1 of them resembles a pitcher in the major leagues.

The Mets’ current situation begs the question: What the hell are they waiting for?! If now isn’t the time to call-up Amed Rosario, their top prospect, I don’t know when is. The Mets need to pump some blood into the body of their team. Calling up the organizations’ top prospect sounds like a no brainer to me, but again, we are talking about the Mets.

Believe it or not, I’m going to end this Mets’ thrashing on a positive note. I must give the New York Mets’ Organization major props. They are taking it upon themselves to extend the protective netting at Citi Field, increasing fan safety. They will extend the netting beyond MLB’s recommendation of 70-feet from home plate, all the way past the camera wells. This will see that 30-foot high netting will run past the dugouts, and 8-foot high netting will run all the way down left and right-field. The netting is 97% invisible and shouldn’t obstruct the view of fans. The netting is scheduled to be installed on July 14th. They will make this change throughout their Minor League stadiums as well.

Good for you Mets!!

Now fans can go back to burying their heads in their cell phones rather than doing something silly, like ya know, watch the game.

What are your thoughts on the Mets’ season so far?? Is it time to call up Amed Rosario?? Spill your guts in the comment section below. Don’t be shy….

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!